McALLEN - Police and federal authorities are investigating the sale of six Bengal tiger cubs in a Wal-Mart parking lot Sunday afternoon.

The animals appear to have been bound for Mexico and neither the buyer nor seller had the permits needed to legally transport the endangered species across national borders, a federal agent said.

A group from Spring Hill Widlife Ranch in Bryan was selling the cubs - four white ones and two orange ones - in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart near Jackson Avenue and Expressway 83.

Authorities believe the Spring Hill employees were selling the tigers to a pre-arranged buyer via an intermediary, and that the animals' final destination would be in Mexico.

"The people who were picking up the tigers and taking possession of them... were Mexican nationals in a Mexico-licensed vehicle," said Special Agent Alejandro Rodriguez of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said tigers have been smuggled into Mexico through the Rio Grande Valley before.

Rodriguez said some people involved in the transaction said the tigers were to be taken to a Mexico City zoo, while others said they would be going to Roma.

Under federal law, it's illegal to transport an endangered species across national borders unless both buyer and seller have what is known as a CITES permit.

Those involved in the transaction could face federal conspiracy charges if authorities determine the animals were, in fact, Mexico-bound.

Police said ranch employees were selling the white cubs for $5,500 per animal, and the orange ones for $900 per animal. The buyers' vehicle lacked air conditioning, police said, which also raised concern about the animals' safety.

Rodriguez said the cubs are healthy and would be transported to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville as authorities continue their investigation.

The orange tigers are about 10 weeks old, Rodriguez said, and the white ones are about two weeks old.

Rodriguez said it appears Spring Hill has sold tigers in the Rio Grande Valley at least two other times in the last 18 months.

Police arrested the co-owner of Spring Hill Wildlife Ranch for interfering with public duties, authorities said.

The woman, whose name police have not released, attempted to barricade herself in the truck containing the tigers after Monitor staff began photographing the animals from the parking lot. She is expected to be arraigned Monday.

Two people who had been questioned by the police about the transaction declined to comment on the case to The Monitor.

Police learned of the transaction when a McAllen Police Department patrol officer became suspicious of the truck with Mexican license plates in the Wal-Mart parking lot, police said.

When the officer approached, the group moved to the parking lot of the nearby Mervyn's department store, prompting him to follow and ultimately discover the tiger cubs.

"The basic premise of this transaction in a parking lot - it doesn't seem right," said McAllen Police Sgt. Eddie De La Rosa.

Bengal tigers can grow to 9 feet long and weight more than 550 pounds. There are about 2,000 Bengal tigers living in the wild. The cats can be found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal.

Jerry Stones, facilities director at Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, said Bengal tigers are an endangered species. There are thousands of large cats including tigers, leopards and lions owned privately - and legally -in Texas, Stones said.

He said he thinks some tiger owners may not realize the effort that goes into caring for the cats. "They buy them as babies," Stones said. "They don't realize it's going to get to be hundreds of pounds, eat an awful lot of food and become dangerous."

A friend of my nephew works on a game ranch south of San Antonio, and claims that there's an escaped tiger loose in the area. There's plenty of hogs, javelina, and whitetail deer, not to mention all of the “exotic” game in the area to sustain it for years.

I could care less about Walmart. Sadly, these animals are often abused, starved and held in conditions of deplorable filth. The lucky ones reach Wildlife Rescues where their lives dramatically improve, still some are blind from cataracs and a host of other ailments. I wish animal abuse laws were hard-time and carried out to the full extent. The people who breed exotics for sale in my opinion are low scum, bottom feeders. The people who abuse an animal, need to be put out of their pain. Go ahead and flame away. I won’t change my opinion.

The animals appear to have been bound for Mexico....the animals' final destination would be in Mexico...."The people who were picking up the tigers and taking possession of them... were Mexican nationals in a Mexico-licensed vehicle,"....He said tigers have been smuggled into Mexico through the Rio Grande Valley before.

I get a feeling that there are drug lords who want tigers for private menageries, and that people are going to be fed to them.

39
posted on 06/19/2008 7:20:25 AM PDT
by denydenydeny
(Expel the priest and you don't inaugurate the age of reason, you get the witch doctor--Paul Johnson)

Unfortunately, this happens around here about once every couple of years and no one blinks an eye. The animals sold at First Monday in Ripley, Mississippi, would shock those from outside the area. One cannot make a public complaint without the fear of retribution.

I worked at a NE OH WalMart in Lawn & Garden. We'd have to oversee Pets on slow nights (2nd shift). Boy, can you imagine the purr motors on those tigers? Betcha they were bound for a “hunting preserve” to give the gringos a thrill. Glad these little ones were found and rescued.

Yea, what's up with that whole 'Tigers are an endangered species' non-sense. You can buy tiger cubs in *most* Wal-Mart parking lots. I know I got my two cuties, Mr. Hugo and Mr. Josh, at the Wal-Mart parking lot here in Vancouver. What I like about my Tigers is they are not fussy eaters, the love to run and play frisbee, and always loved to get scratched behind the ears. Cleaning the sandbox is a pain, though.

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